Noir
by Lhaewiel
Summary: "Someone is looking the red eyed man from afar. The crowd doesn't notice." Xanxus x Squalo, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Noir  
**Title of the chapter:** Chapter 1 - Blood red, white, black and melody  
**Fandom:** Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!  
**Pairing:** Xanxus x Squalo  
**Rating:** PG 15  
**Genre:** crossover, AU  
**Notes:** I want to thank my beta for the hard work^^ Thank youuu!3 BTW I hope I have corrected in the right way...^^; I have to say that the base plot is that of the anime series "Noir", but the protagonists are Xanxus and Squalo. I hope you'll like it^^  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own nothing and so on, you know it perfectly.

**Chapter One – Blood red, white, black and melody**

_Someone is looking the red eyed man from afar. The crowd doesn't notice._

A man with black hair crossed the entrance of his house.

His red eyes studied the room he had just entered for a bit, then went to the table right before a French window, where a personal computer was turned off.

He switched on the pc with an annoyed gesture. Quickly he checked his e-mail.

He had received only one mail.

Barely suppressing his annoyed breath, he opened it. A weird message came out.

"Come with me to a pilgrimage to your past and mine. Squalo Superbia"

He thought of a bad joke. He pulled out one of his guns, pointing it towards the computer.

Just when he was about to pull the trigger, a melody spread its notes through the room.

It was a simple melody, just like a sort of lullaby.

He opened his eyes wide and stopped.

_The white haired man is running apparently without a precise destination, his sword has become red from all the blood of those who are after him. He doesn't have time to waste, he __has to__ be there, because he __knows__ that person will come. "He will come, I'm sure." He's thinking, while easily dodging that rain of bullets._

It was sunset when Xanxus finally reached that apparently abandoned building, outside from the city.

He had followed from afar the long haired man, and finally had stopped before him, who was standing before the setting sun.

Xanxus pointed at him his two guns.

"Who are you, trash?"

His tone was like the calm before the storm, angry, mad.

The black haired was ready to pull the trigger at the least movement of the other. The latter slowly raised the left hand, the one with a sword linked to it.

Again Xanxus couldn't pull the trigger. That melody, that sweet lullaby stopped him again.

The white haired man turned towards him, then looked right into those red eyes. Then:

"Voooi, I've waited for you for a long time."

This time Xanxus seriously pulled the triggers.

Two bullets missed the other, who ran into the building, grinning.

The black haired began to follow him, but he heard some bullets explode just too much near him. He turned his head just in time to see some other men shooting.

Without hesitation he killed them with few bullets, then ran into the building to find that man – and possibly kill him, since now he was as mad as hell!

When he entered the building he saw some of those man lying on the ground, dead. They seemed to have been slaughtered by a knife or something similar, judging by the wounds.

"That piece of trash did it?"

He then heard some steps, just in time to realize that he had been followed. He shot other gunshots, killing those men so easily it seemed nearly a natural gesture.

Xanxus then saw a glimpse of that long white hair right on the corner of his left eye and ran after him.

"That trash sure knows how to run…"

He thought enraged, gritting his teeth. Soon enough the black haired man was surrounded by others of those who were shooting.

He pointed his guns towards them.

"Tch… You sure are persistent, for scum like you.",

He said in a despiteful tone. Then added as a note to himself:

-That white haired scum will pay for this!

But, before he could even shoot one bullet, he saw the shining of a blade, then those men fell down to the floor.

The white haired man grinned, fixing his light blue eyes into those red of Xanxus, then jumped and slaughtered down the remaining enemies as easily as if he was just walking with his sword, attached to his left hand.

When Xanxus saw the other man finally standing still, he pointed one last time his guns towards him.

"Now it's time for you to die, trash."

His tone was like the calm before the storm. But again that melody spread its notes through the building. Xanxus lowered his guns and breathed in an annoyed way.

"So what's your fucking name?"

This was the first thing Xanxus said once he had reached the long haired man's house together with him. The latter didn't answer immediately.

He took out an ID card, then said:

"Squalo Superbia. That's my name."

"That's not your name."

Squalo simply nodded as if it was a matter of fact and then grinned.

"Vooi, you guessed it right, maybe."

Xanxus pointed one gun at Squalo's head. In a threatening tone he said:

"What do you know?"

Squalo answered as if he was explaining the weather broadcast.

"Xanxus, adopted son of a powerful Mafia boss. Assassin, leader of a Squad called Varia."

"And what about you?"

Squalo didn't answer.

That threatening tone was becoming way too annoying for him.

His expression changed, showing annoyance, maybe a little of rage.

"You seem well informed about me, why should I tell you this?"

Squalo snapped.

A bullet exploded at a distance of two centimetres from his head.

"Trash like you mustn't speak so bravely. I'm going to kill you if you don't give me a convincing explanation."

The white haired man looked at him for a bit. That man was surely fearsome, Squalo thought. Then he began to speak.

_Squalo wakes up. _

_He doesn't remember anything, he's there apparently for a casualty. He goes through the room he is in, gazes at the clothes. _

_Opening the cupboard, he looks into the drawers and finds that object._

_Then looks at the walls and finds the blade of a sword. _

_He takes it and puts it on his prosthetic hand. It fit perfectly. He has no time to waste, though, those men are already after him, and even if he doesn't remember, he __knows__ he has to look for him. He slaughters those men, his enemies, as he can see. He runs towards a place where he can be safe._

"That's not all, you're hiding something. Take that object out, now."

Squalo nodded, putting a silver clock on the table.

He pushed a button at the side of the clock, so the clock would show the time. That melody resounded again through the room.

Xanxus looked at that clock with an indefinite expression.

_The black haired boy is in the middle of his house's hall, among his father's men._

_He looks surprised, he only can hear that melody. He doesn't know why, he doesn't know how should he take this, he doesn't know if he can speak to someone about this, moving his red eyes around the hall._

With an enraged tone, gritting his teeth Xanxus said:

"Stop that shit!"

Squalo stopped the melody, but suddenly retorted:

"It's not shit, you fuck…"

Another gunshot made him desist from talking.

"Next bullet will pierce your head, trash. So,what do you want from me?"

"I want you to help me."

He waited for an answer.

Xanxus breathed annoyed.

"Listen.

Number one: I'm an assassin. I don't work with anyone, especially I don't work with scum like you.

Number two: I don't help people."

"Then, wouldn't it be more simple for you if you take me with you, since now I know your job?"

Those red eyes fixed him for some minutes. Then:

"Heh… You're sharper than I imagined, trash. What would be your payment?"

Squalo answered without hesitation.

"I will devote this sword to you. I will devote myself to you."

"When all this shit is over, I'll kill you."

"Voi!, I'll wait for that moment.", he grinned slightly.

A pause accompanied those words.

Then Xanxus said:

"Prepare yourself, you scum, or I'll leave you behind."

Squalo nodded.

So Xanxus made preparations to let Squalo stay at his place for a bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Noir  
**Title of the chapter:** Chapter 2 – Daily bread  
**Fandom: **Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!  
**Pairing:** Xanxus x Squalo  
**Rating:** PG 15  
**Genre: **crossover, AU  
**Notes:** I want to thank my beta reader, I really appreciate your hard work:3 As always the plot is based on the anime series "Noir", but the protagonists are Xanxus and Squalo.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own nothing and so on, you know it perfectly.

**Chapter 2 – Daily bread**

A car stopped before a house where a child was playing. A man got off the car, the child happily ran towards him.

- Daddy, daddy, you're here!

- Yes, Henri, I'm here.

He took the child into his arms, while a blonde woman with a sleeping baby in her arms, his wife, quietly approached him. They talked for a bit, then they went together in the house. Right after the door was closed, a big explosion destroyed the whole house.

Xanxus was quietly walking home, followed by Squalo, who held a bag full of food. They stopped at a bar to take a coffee. Squalo gazed inattentively at the small television set on a shelf by the counter, seeing that the a chief officer of the ministry had died along with his family. Then they both went home.

Xanxus switched on the computer and checked his e-mail. He breathed annoyed, then:

- Oi, trash, get useful, we've got a job.

Squalo looked in an annoyed way at the image that had appeared on the screen – the face of a the officer who had died the day before. Without looking at the white haired man, Xanxus quickly read the details of the target.

The funeral was celebrated at the church. There were mostly high ranked people from the Ministry and the Departments, since the victim was a high officer. One of them was the chief of the Department. He was approached by a man, an officer, who seemed to be just arrived there. The officer whispered to him:

- May I talk to you?

The man nodded, then quietly went with the officer. Once they reached a place where no one would hear them, they started to talk.

- That's a real problem.

- Yes, indeed.

- The other two victims were petty officers, but this time it's an high rank one.

- What should we do?

- The only thing I can say it's that there's been a leaking of information out of the -Department, otherwise I can't explain it.

One of the two men breathed.

- We're going to have lots of troubles if the president discovers this.

- Then we shall keep this secret.

After this, they both looked at the already finished ceremony.

Squalo was reporting Xanxus about what he discovered. The red eyed man, drinking a glass of wine, quietly listened to him.

_Squalo is apparently going as he is just doing a walk through the street, mentally cursing the fact that he hates that kind of work. Looking for information is not one of the things he likes to do. But since it's Xanxus who has told him – no, not told, him – ordered him to do so, previously warning him with a gunshot that he'd be dead if he doesn't go looking for information, he has to do that work. He has devoted his sword and himself to Xanxus by the way, so he assumes that's also part of their sort of pact._

Squalo actually is following that chief Department without being noticed. The latter enters into a brasserie, sits on a chair. Then quietly he begins talking apparently to himself.

- We have to be careful. We're risking way too much, they're beginning to suspect about us.

_A voice behind that man answers._

_- Then we have to act now, otherwise we won't have another chance._

_- I agree._

_Then, without a word, the said chief who has spoken first stands up and leaves. When Squalo is sure that no one will notice him, he also leaves and goes home._

- So there are links between the chief of the Department and the leader of the terrorist attacks.

Squalo nodded.

- You're quite good, for being trash.

- Vooi, I'm not doing this anymore, I hate that shit.

Xanxus laughed, then he said serious:

- Anyway tonight we'll go. Our contact has given me the blueprint of the building.

He threw a glass at Squalo, then added, ignoring the white haired man's complainings:

- Just listen here, you scum. You'll be entering from the back of the building, dealing with the guards that may be there, I'm entering from the front door. Here's the room where our target will be. Got it?

- Yeah, yeah, I'm not stupid, fuck.

Xanxus held back his homicidal intentions. It wasn't a clever thing to do killing him right in that moment.

_A man is tied to a chair. Others are threatening him, pointing their guns at his head. Then he enters the room. The leader of the terrorists speaks._

- So you said that an assassin was hired to kill me?

His voice is surprisingly calm. The victim shivers. He keeps questioning him.

- What's the name of the assassin you hired?

_The man doesn't answer. A gunshot hits his leg, he screams in pain. Hardly breathing he says:_

_- The assassin… Noir it's the name…_

_The leader stays still for a bit, pondering._

"_Noir… The top-class assassin…"_

_After this thought he orders his men to kill the tied man. Soon after this the chief Department makes his entrance._

_- There should be a very good reason for you having called me so suddenly._

_- Yes, there is. Noir, the top-class assassin has been hired to kill us._

_- That's quite a problem._

_- We'll deal with it. Tonight he will arrive to kill us._

Squalo, as planned, entered from the back door as silent as a shadow. He quickly got rid of the two men who were guarding the back entrance, mercilessly slicing them up with his sword. When he heard other guards coming towards him, he grinned.

"Tch… It seems that they knew we were coming…"

He put up the creepy smile of a murderous marionette and the expression of one who has just won the national lottery. Then:  
- Vooi, who's the next one to be sliced up?

Meanwhile, Xanxus entered from the front door. With two gunshots he killed the two guards. When he heard that someone else was coming, he got angry. He didn't expect at all that the target would know he was coming. With a pissed off expression he shot, killing other guards and went to the place he should have killed his target.

When he got there, he saw only the corpse of a man. Then the door closed behind him as his target came in. The latter was followed by two of his underlings.

- Give up, Noir. Put down your gun.

Xanxus didn't answer, but he kept pointing the gun at the terrorist. He slowly began to lower his gun. When he felt that the three had lowered their guard, he quickly pointed the other gun and shot some bullets, killing the two underlings, while with the other murdered the terrorist. He went away to keep up with Squalo, getting rid of the last enemies he encountered.

Squalo, in the meanwhile, dealt with the other target as quickly as he could. He dodged the bullets shot at him, and with a thrust he murdered the man before him.

When Xanxus and Squalo got out of the building it was dawn. Breaking the silence that had fallen between the two, Xanxus said:

- Oi, trash. That's our daily bread. Got it?

Squalo nodded. The black haired man added:

- You kill, you get what you need to live.

- Yeah, yeah. I don't mind it at all.

The white haired man yawned. The sun brightened the two of them, as they were going home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Noir  
**Title of the chapter:** Chapter 3 - The Assassination Play  
**Fandom:** Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!  
**Pairing:** Xanxus x Squalo  
**Rating:** PG 15  
**Genre: **crossover, AU  
**Notes:** I want to thank my beta reader, who always tolerates me and my failures... I really appreciate your hard work:3 As always the plot is based on the anime series "Noir", but the protagonists are Xanxus and Squalo.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own nothing and so on, you know it perfectly.

**Chapter 3 – The assassination play**

_Noir it is the name of an ancient fate, two maidens who govern death, the peace of the newly born their black hands protect._

_(Noir)_

Xanxus was quietly walking under the heavy rain in a cemetery. He wasn´t there because he was one who would go visiting graves. His reasons were known only to him. While walking past the graves, he noticed, at some metres from his right, a woman, who was standing still before a grave. After some minutes she left, without noticing him.

He went by the grave where he saw her standing before and saw a bouquet of white lilies. He was slightly surprised. He turned his head towards the direction that woman took to go out of that place and shook his head. On the grave there were white lilies.

- We have a job.

Xanxus said so in an annoyed tone, while tapping on the keyboard of his computer. Squalo, laying half asleep on his bed, just answered in a neutral tone:

- Who's the target?

Xanxus frowned and said:

- Just don't lay uselessly on that bed, you scum, come here and listen.

Squalo cursed a bit, but he went near the red eyed man, and asked for more information.

Xanxus began to explain.

- The name's Albert Duxl, quite a notorious villain.

On the computer screen appeared the target's name. Xanxus kept talking.

- Albert Dulx is a star in the rise of the business world. However, when the young president died in an accident… When questioned no one struggled to see it as an accident.

On the screen the article of the so-called accident appeared. Xanxus stretched his arms, while clicking the print button. Squalo took the paper that was coming out of the printer, looked at it for a moment then showed it.

- Who's this?

- The young president's wife. Our client.

The picture showed a woman with long hair. Her name, written in the description under the image, was Bianchi.

- Do you know her?

Xanxus didn't answer. He was thinking of when he passed by her at the cemetery.

- Vooi, did you see her before?

- Don't shout in my ears, you dumbfuck. Yeah, kind of. I saw her at the cemetery.

Squalo paused.

- And the hell were you doing at the cemetery?

A gun was pointed at him.

- None of your fucking business. Now go talk to our client and come back with some informations.

That was how Squalo came up to a flower shop. He had to have an excuse to meet her, so he thought about bringing with him some flowers. His choice was a bouquet of red lilies. He cursed under his breath, because he was again sent to do a work he hated.

Bianchi turned away from the grave she was standing at, and saw a quite embarrassed long haired man with a bouquet of red lilies. She was surprised and looked suspiciously at him for a moment. Anyway she did not show her suspicions. She smiled instead.

While the two were walking out of the cemetery, Bianchi began to speak.

- We've never met before, haven't we?

Squalo nodded.

- Is someone you held dear buried here?

- Kind of.

Said Squalo looking away. He didn't know what to say.

- Is your lover buried here?

- Vooi, why would you say that?

Squalo got angry. The woman laughed lightly, then answered:

- If you bring red lilies to someone, I must assume your lover is buried somewhere in this cemetery.

The sentence was incomprehensible for the white haired man. When they got out of the cemetery, they both sat on a bench. Bianchi kept talking.

- Do you know the "language of flowers"? Every flower has got a meaning. Red lilies mean passion and love. So that's why I asked you whether your lover was buried there.

Squalo nodded. The woman added:

- You know, the most important thing in life is love.

He mentally cursed Xanxus for having him make such a job. He was the least person on earth to talk about those things with. Anyway he kept listening to Bianchi. It was sunset when Squalo left Bianchi to go home.

Squalo, laying on the bed, finished to clean his sword, while Xanxus was cleaning his guns. When they finished, they both pointed their weapons against each other.

- So we're going, uh?

- Yeah, trash, we're going, so move up your lazy ass. It's a golden opportunity, since our chicken just built a resort that hasn't been inaugurated yet.

The resort was nearly all covered by the shadows, once they had gotten rid of the guards everything would have been easy. They entered from the back of the building as silent as shadows, one from the emergency stairs, the other from the elevator. Xanxus killed the two guards, then went directly towards the place where the target was. He quietly opened the door, entering quickly and pointing his guns towards the shadow at the window. As he was about to shoot, some lights coming from the floor blinded him. Then he heard Albert Duxl's voice.

- So you are Noir. That's quite a surprise.

He heard him laugh. Some steps were heard coming from the left of the room Xanxus was in. Bianchi quietly had come in from one of the two lateral doors. Xanxus bit his bottom lip, surprised to see his client with his target. He heard Duxl's voice again.

- Drop your guns and raise your arms.

Xanxus didn't have so many choices, so he did as told. His chances to get again his guns were very low. He breathed. He felt he had fallen into a trap.

Squalo had the feeling like someone being behind the door he was about to enter, and he had seen right, as he easily sliced two men with his sword. It was a trap, so, if Xanxus had gone directly towards the target, then he should be in troubles. He reached the point where Xanxus was supposed to go, getting rid of the ones who stepped in his way. Hiding in the shadows he killed also the guards who were standing before the room Xanxus and the target were in.

Bianchi and Albert Duxl turned their heads towards the door that was being opened and saw two of their underlings fall to the floor, sliced to death. In the meanwhile they had a glimpse of Xanxus getting away following a white haired man. Bianchi whispered, more to herself:

- So it was you…

Duxl went to the control room, scanning in rage all the monitors. He could see clearly the two, Xanxus and Squalo, slicing and shooting down all the cameras placed in the neuralgic points of the building through the corridors. He looked at Bianchi.

- Let's put up with plan B.

The woman just nodded.

Xanxus and Squalo finally reached a dark room, and closed the door behind them. Apparently that was the room where a sort of casino, along with a counter. The red eyed man was mad. He said:

- Shit, that was a game for them. Our client was with them. They couldn't possibly know who we were. How? Who told them about us?

Squalo answered.

- The enemy.

Xanxus paused, then turned around and looked into Squalo's eyes.

- The one who stole your memory?

The white haired man behind him nodded. A screen lit up, making both men gazing at it. It was showing those words: "Target: Noir". Xanxus laughed bitterly.

- So they were after us in the end.

- So it seems.

- What a bad joke.

Squalo switched on the light. As quiet as the calm before the storm, Xanxus sat on a chair by the counter. Seeing a bottle of Cognac, he went to take it and served himself a glass. The white haired swordsman opened his eyes wide.

- Vooi, the hell are you doing?

He nearly screamed. He couldn't possibly understand that. Xanxus simply answered in an annoyed tone:

- Just don't scream, trash, it's better that we relax.

- But…

- If we get panicked, we will just play their game.

After saying that, he sipped a bit of the liquor quietly. He was listening to every noise. Finally he heard some steps. He left the glass on the counter, then made a gesture to Squalo to explain him they had to hide somewhere in the room.

When the men hired by Albert Duxl came into the casino built into that resort, they found nobody. One second later, with their great surprise, they had a glimpse of a blade and a gun, then they were lying on the floor, either shot or sliced up. With a sign, Xanxus made Squalo understand he would go away to find either the target or the woman, while the latter just had to cover him. He ran away from the casino, descending various floors while shooting bullets to get rid of his pursuers. He found himself finally in what he could imagine it was a storage room. He closed his eyes, lowering his guns, to hear even the least movement. As silent as a shadow, Bianchi was approaching him, her poisonous dagger pointed towards the black haired man. Xanxus opened his eyes and turned around just in time to see that Bianchi was above him, hanging from the ceiling, her dagger pointed right towards his heart. He pointed both his guns at her and shot.

Meanwhile, Squalo easily got rid of the last underlings, slicing them up. Duxl stepped behind him, making him turn towards his pointed gun.

- The game is over.

- Vooi, do you REALLY think so?

Answered a grinning Squalo. He felt that the bullet was shot, so he dodged it leaning at his left, then killed the man with a blow, not even letting him make a sound. Then he ran towards Xanxus, a bit worried, since he had heard some shoots. When he arrived at the storage room, he saw him standing before Bianchi. Xanxus was questioning the dying woman.

- Who hired you?

- Would you tell me, if you were in my shoes?

Feebly answered Bianchi. Xanxus shook his head, denying. Squalo, seeing that scene, felt the need to say something.

- Is Bianchi your true name?

What would be the point in telling you?

- … I can go visit your grave.

Xanxus was stunned for a moment. That guy was just too complicated to understand for him. Squalo kept talking in a somewhat neutral tone.

- Who's buried in that grave you always would visit? Your husband?

- … No…

- Then who?

- … The one I loved.

- What's your name?

- There's no point in telling you. I'm an assassin, I will have neither a name nor a grave, since like you I'm already dead a long time ago.

With those words she died. Xanxus came out of the building, dragging along Squalo. It was sunset.

Some days later, Squalo was walking through the cemetery with a bouquet of red lilies into his hands. He stopped at a grave, the rain was falling. In one second he threw the flowers in the air, thinking.

"I know this is not your grave, but I felt that this was at least necessary, Bianchi."

And with that he turned around and went home.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** this chapter is unbeta-ed, I really hope there aren't English mistakes... Since I'm Italian, I might have done some mistakes here and there^^; And I really hope there is no OOC!°° In case you notice something let me know, I'll correct everything as soon as possible!

**Chapter 4 – The Sound of Waves**

The party at the mansion was lively, every guest could say that there was nothing to worry about. The chatters filled the whole place. Women elegantly dressed came and went, talking about the latest gossips, while men in tuxedo amicably discussed about their business trades.

« Your excellency, congratulations on your appointment as Minister of Defence. »

The two who had approached the person that party was made up for saluted him. The officer warmly answered.

« Oh, it's you, Tanner. I'm glad you came. »

« As the representative of the Atride Corporation, I congratulate you. »

The officer raised a glass and said:

« It's all thanks to you. »

Tanner replied gently with a smile:

« No, I believe it to be a direct result of your innate virtue. Among the citizens, who consider the president's factions to be the source of their problems, I hear their hope for you. General Canora, you're definitely growing. »

The general amicably laughed, then answered:

« Anyway that's an important step forward to your project as well. Ulgia now has a new leader.»

« We're much oblidged. »

A waiter, with long white hair combed in a tail, came by the three men chattering, carrying a tray on which there were two glasses of liquor. General Canora took a glass from the tray and offered it to Tanner, who gladly accepted. The waiter came back to his place, without showing too much the smirk that was on his lips.

Outside the mansion a man was waiting. He took out a cigarette. He spoke to himself, while looking before him towards a not precise point. He felt some steps, turned around and saw a black haired man coming. The latter leaned himself to a column in a bored way. The first approached him.

« Excuse me, have you got something to lit up my cigarette? »

Red eyes scanned quickly the one who just spoke, then he put one of his hands into his pocket and, after a pause, took out his gun and quickly shot a bullet at the man before him. Then he left.

Some women screamed. General Canora panicked and shouted some orders. The white haired waiter quickly threw a fork towards Tanner, who was distracted. The representative of the Atride Corporation fell to the ground without a sound. The responsible of that action had already vanished.

While Xanxus was driving, Squalo exposed the details of the task they had just accomplished.

« An international security service. That is apparently what the Atride Corporation does, but it is currently a coup d'état coordinator. They find regions with potential for conflict and approach one of the influential parties there. Then they offer to take care of anything and everything, from planning to training soldiers, deploying personnel and buying weapons. Tch, quite a business! »

Xanxus frowned.

« Just useless scum who deserved to die. »

« Vooi, you're quite drastic. »

Squalo sighed. Xanxus glared at him, then said:

« Just shut up. »

The white haired man just nodded, breathing in annoyance.

They arrived at a nice villa by the sea Xanxus had rented for their stay while on mission. They both entered in the building, then, after they got changed, they could finally enjoy a bit of relax. They had to wipe away the tension gathered during the task they had accomplished. One was leaning against the doorjamb of the door that was open to a terrace from where the shore and the sea could be seen. The other was standing by the rail of the terrace, looking at the sea in a pensive way.

« Just go, you're annoying the hell out of me. »

Xanxus suddenly burst out, looking at Squalo, then went to sit on a chair inside the house.

At the Atride Corporation, someone arrived. The sound of the opening elevator was heard along the floor. A man with short brown hair, followed by what seemed to be his secretary and a bodyguard, passed through the corridor of said floor and went into his office. Some minutes after that, two underlings entered. That man was talking to the telephone.

« I understand, Your Excellency, but we've already invested a large sum in this. There can be no turning back now. »

A pause of silence occurred to wait for the answer of the person at the other end of the telephone.

« Yes, I can do such a thing for that purpose, and if you still insist in breaking our contract, sir, we will be forced to disclose the nature of our investment… And you know what would happen then…»

There was another pause.

« Yes, I suggest that you do reconsider that, General. Goodbye. »

The last sentence was said in a menacing tone. One of the underlings, who had been standing before their chief's desk, said:

« If Canora loses his nerve, he could flow out of our control. »

« Oh, no, I won't let him do that. We've invested over three years on this project, that's far too much to be made out the right store of a couple of minds »

« Tanner and Faster were killed by the presidential faction, sir? »

Asked the other underling in a worried tone. At his question, the other one next to him said:

« It is possible, but… »

The Atride Corporation chief assured them.

« Tanner and Faster were simply unlucky, but bad luck is all that it was. There are always accidents like that, and we don't have time to dedicate to each one of them. »

In the meanwhile, Xanxus was reading a newspaper, while Squalo was just relaxing on the beach before the villa they were staying at, listening to the sound of the waves. The latter sighed, then said:

« There are just three targets left. »

He turned towards Xanxus, who simply tossed apart the newspaper he was reading.

_Squalo remembers very well how he has managed to escape from those killers that time, and how it has been so simple to get rid of them slicing them apart. Even if it's not that fair stabbing someone from behind._

At the station it seemed that the president of the Atride corporation was waiting for someone. Xanxus was quietly sipping a cup of coffee, while Squalo was controlling the said president. This latter was approached by a young girl, who said:

« Hey, dad! Were you waiting for a long time? »

The answer to that question was a slap. Squalo frowned a bit from his position. Xanxus just indifferently looked at the scene. The girl looked dismayed, her gaze looking for explanations. The man dragged away his daughter quickly towards a hotel.

Once in the girl's hotel room, her father spoke:

« Why did you come here uninvited? I'm here on a business trip, I told you to wait in New York until I'm finished with this job. »

The girl saddened and said:

« It would make no difference. Where are you when I need you? Why did mum leave you? »

« You're going home with tomorrow's flight. »

After that, the man considered the conversation over, then left.

That night Squalo couldn't sleep at all. While looking at the profile of the girl their target dragged away that morning, he was just thinking. He could not remember a thing about himself, or anything else. He began polishing his sword carefully, not making any noise.

The morning after, the president left his place to go working. He stopped on the way and bought a gift for her daughter. He had been a bit rude, so since it was her daughter's birthday, he had managed to book a flight to come back on the same day as her, and he bought also a gift. When he got into his office, though, he received a letter with a map onto which there was written the word "Noir". He ordered to contact General Canora and make him send some soldiers, since near the place signed on the map there was a military base. HE would have gotten rid of Noir quickly, he thought.

Xanxus heard some cars approaching and looked out of the window. Some soldiers were there, quite certainly called up to kill him and Squalo. He carefully gazed at those soldiers taking position around the villa, then sighed.

"Only useless scum."

He looked again and added:

"Just useless annoying scum."

Squalo cursed under his breath and said:

« We're surrounded. »

« How did they find us? »

Xanxus was furious. The look Squalo gave him made him understand the way they were founded.

« Them again, huh? »

The white haired man just nodded.

« We'll handle this our way. »

The door of the villa opened, then Squalo came out. The soldiers were confused. They approached him, making some futile questions. It was in that moment that some of the soldiers fell down, shot by Xanxus, who was on the roof. Quickly Squalo drew out his sword and sliced some of the other soldiers.

« Voooi, let's see how much time it will take. »

He said with a creepy smile on his face.

After finishing that work, Xanxus and Squalo left the villa by car.

_In another place, submerged by trees and ruins, there is a building that looks like a church. In that building, in one of the many rooms, a man, dressed with a long black cape, his cheeks marked by two triangular signs, is sitting by a desk, playing chess all alone. He smirks as he alone sees one of the black pawns beaten down by the white queen._

The president of the Atride Corporation was furious.

« They got away? »

« It seemed that they attacked Noir without waiting for backup, the soldiers are in total disarray. »

« I'll be waiting a report in one hour, now go. »

The man sighed, looking at the photo of her wife and daughter on his desk near which he had put the gift for her daughter. Then he opened a drawer and looked at the gun that was into it. Then sighed and looked again at the photo of his wife and daughter.

Xanxus was quietly waiting in the car parking for his targets to show up. The two men got in a car, switched on it. Then they saw Xanxus brightened by the lights of the car. The red eyed man pointed his guns towards them and shot. In the meanwhile, Squalo reached the Atride corporation president office, opened the door and looked at the president. The latter looked back at him, then closed his eyes. In one moment Squalo had taken that man's life with his sword. Then he noticed the packet and looked at the photo.

The day after Squalo casually bumped into the president's daughter. He just looked at her, then went off without saying a word.


End file.
